The end of December is a chance to reflect on memories and accomplishments from the past year. Here’s a look back at Green Mountain Area Homeschoolers in 2022.
Below are some photo highlights of our year with brief descriptions. If you’re interested in joining any of these programs, please contact me. I also have links at the bottom of this post with more information.
Our Long-Standing Programs
When I first started Green Mountain Area Homeschoolers, we had no ‘programs’. We were just four or five homeschool families who met at the park every week. Since then, we’ve grown quite a bit. That growth has included a long-term commitment to Roots and Shoots.
Roots and Shoots
Green Mountain Area Homeschoolers’ longest running program is our annual Roots and Shoots service-learning project. For nine years, we’ve participated in this student-led program through the framework provided by the Jane Goodall Institute. With their 2022 project – “Know Your H2O” – our students promoted water awareness and conservation in our community.
National History Day
Just behind Roots and Shoots in longevity is our National History Day Performance. This month, we began rehearsing for our 8th annual show to be held in February of 2023. Students pick the historical figure they want to portray and I write a play to bring them all together in the context of the NHD annual theme. Those historical figures? Whether it’s Rosa Parks, Mansa Musa, Sun Tzu, or Orville Wright, I’ll always associate them with the student who portrayed them.
Green Mountain Youth Speakers
Sharon Koenig and I continued GMAH’s Green Mountain Youth Speakers this year, a program we developed in 2016. Most of the students who start this program stay with it until they graduate from high school. As a result, we have the tremendous privilege of helping guide them through a critical time of growth as both speakers and young adults.
Thanksgiving Run
We also marked our 7th annual Thanksgiving run, a small, fun, and free event which draws somewhere between 10 and 30 participants each year.
ASL Practice Group
In May, our American Sign Language practice group ended after a successful six-year run. It was conceived by one of the moms in our group and we were fortunate enough to have a deaf mom to help us as well. This group flourished and only ended as our founding mom moved on to new commitments and our deaf mom moved to another state. This program leaves a legacy of families with an understanding of deaf culture and ASL.
Our New Programs
In 2022, we started several new programs. Among them, Grande Grupo Guapo – our Spanish conversation group. Thanks to our four leaders and a host of supportive and involved parents, this bi-monthly program is thriving.
Grande Grupo Guapo
Colorado River Watch
GMAH’s Roots and Shoots project led us to join a new state-wide citizen science project. We attended the four-day Colorado River Watch training in October and are now in the process of teaching students in the group how to collect samples, perform lab tests, and submit data for this monthly water quality monitoring program.
Denver Gingerbread Competition
December marked our first time at the Denver Gingerbread Bridge Competition. Our two teams did well plus we had a lot of fun, so we’re already planning to compete again next year.
Art Days
GMAH art days this year included collaborative art collages for our Know Your H2O project, our annual Mother’s Day present-making project, our annual big summer art day with the theme of “Travelers” – unusual animal migrations, and our recent Winter Solstice Art Day. These days were so fun and, as always, I absolutely loved the art produced by every one of our students.
Field Trips
In addition to our regular visits to Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver Art Museum, Denver Zoo, and Colorado Symphony, we explored some new venues.
Park Days
Much of 2022 was spent on programs, art days, and field trips, but our group’s foundation has always been park days. Year-round and held nearly every week, these gatherings are where we truly connect and support each other. It’s where our children get to know each other and make friends. And, like all of our events, they’re attended by all ages.
Goodbyes and Hellos
The fact that our students grow older, along the very nature of homeschooling – its flexibility – mean that we lose a few families every year. Whether they age out, pursue different school options, or move away, there are always a few goodbyes. For me, it’s one of the more difficult parts of homeschooling life.
On the flip side, every year we welcome new families and friends. Our group truly is welcoming to all who join – a quality shared by all the regulars in our eclectic mix of homeschool families.
As time passes, I’m reminded that this slowly evolving community of families is a constant source of inspiration and support. Like every year since 2008, Green Mountain Area Homeschoolers in 2022 continued to provide a ‘home’ for homeschoolers.
I can’t wait to see what 2023 has in store for us.
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